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February 5, 2013 See Now Then, Jamaica Kincaid's first novel in a decade, follows a neglected wife in a small New England town. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says the book reads as if "Gertrude Stein and Virginia Woolf had collaborated on a heartbroken housewife's lament."

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February 5, 2013 Folk musician Woody Guthrie wrote thousands of songs in his lifetime — but as far as anyone knows, he only wrote one novel. Recently discovered, House of Earth is the story of struggling young sharecroppers who dream of creating a safe haven amid the dust storms and economic depression of the 1930s.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 5, 2013 The Bolshoi Ballet is deeply beloved in Russia. But a series of recent scandals — capped by a nasty acid attack on the company's artistic director in mid-January — has sent shock waves through artistic circles.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 4, 2013 In her new book, Andrea Stuart explores the intersection of sugar, slavery, settlement, migration and survival in the Americas. Stuart's personal history was shaped by these forces — she is descended from a slave owner who had relations with an unknown slave.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

February 4, 2013 The blackout during the third quarter of last night's Super Bowl was the one spontaneous event of the whole evening, and the one thing that brought out the best in social media.

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February 4, 2013 Also: Jared Diamond gets into trouble with an indigenous rights group; NFL players re-imagined as Dickens characters; a new theory about the Lockerbie bombing; and the best books of the week.

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February 4, 2013 Maurice Sendak died last May but left behind a final book: a reflection on loss and love written in memory of his brother Jack. Sendak's longtime friend Tony Kushner describes the book's origins and Sendak's literary heroes.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 3, 2013 Sam Sheridan was a mixed martial arts fighter, wilderness firefighter, construction worker in the South Pole, and now, author. His new book, Disaster Diaries, will help you survive the apocalypse, no matter the catastrophe.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

February 3, 2013 Writer-director Jonathan Levine could watch Hal Ashby's Coming Home a million times. "I think that the distinctive thing about Coming Home is the love story," he says.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

February 3, 2013 For some months now, many of us at NPR have been enjoying a daily email from our friends here who report about books and the publishing industry. It's a tip sheet with news and a bit of attitude. "Hey, we ought to publish this," we said. Starting Monday, The Two-Way will.

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February 3, 2013 If you can't develop a real rooting interest in the Super Bowl, perhaps you can come up with something almost completely arbitrary to help you care.

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February 3, 2013 Vermeer's famous Girl With a Pearl Earring has returned to the United States for the first time since 1995. Very little is known about the painting, so in honor of the visit, The Guardian newspaper asked its readers to come up with a backstory for the mysterious girl.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

February 3, 2013 Restaurateur and food personality Eddie Huang spent time as a lawyer and a stand-up comic before getting into the food business. In his new memoir, Fresh Off The Boat, he talks about food, family, hip-hop and growing up Asian in America.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

February 3, 2013 Guns N' Roses epitomized all of the glamour of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But, author Alex Stone writes, Duff McKagan's memoir shows the ugly underside of the legendary rock group. What's your favorite music memoir? Tell us in the comments.

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